Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Holidaze

As good as the holidays can be to re-connect with one another and all that we hold dear, this time of year can also generate a surfeit of stuff. The volume of waste we produce during the season generally goes up by about 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, 5 million extra tons of household waste, according to the U.S. EPA.

Alot of waste (about 80 percent) is made up of shopping bags and wrapping paper. But after that initial flash of delight, it often ends up in our landfills. Fortunately, these are materials that can be easily recycled--and still be really great.

A few tips:

BYOB (bring your own bag), is of course a quick/easy way to reduce the use of shopping bags. Just have a few bags handy when you need them. And when you go to the store, try to pack stuff into  fewer bags. Does the cardboard box of garbage bags really need its own bag? This may seem like a really small thing, but reducing plastic bag waste adds up.

Wrapping paper is also a relatively easy thing to reduce--since all around us there is paper and other materials that we can repurpose to make even more beautiful and original packages. Maps and catalogs can make really cool packages--and finding unique ways to create cards and wrap gifts is a great craft for kids. Need inspiration? check out: "Unwrapping the Holidays" from "improvised life."

In San Antonio, if you have a Christmas tree to recycle, you'll want to keep this info handy about recycling options.

And shopping locally will not just cut down on fuel and support local businesses--it may also help you recycle a little of your own energy--and sanity.

More tips and links:

Recycle during the holidays - from the U.S. EPA

Reduce holiday waste - from the U.S. EPA

Suggestions from Stanford. 

San Antonio Recycling - Video on Do's and Don'ts (videos in English and Spanish)



In thinking about the holidays, or any other day, my heart goes out to the community of Newtown, Connecticut. I want to express my deepest condolences. You are in my heart and in my thoughts.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Aluminum to Styrofoam

Looking for a place to recycle the odd bit of this or that? Check out the San Antonio Express-News recycling directory (published this spring).

Recycle...Water?

You can arrange for a water audit to save money on water bills at San Antonio Water System.